MyBB Community Forums

I didn't see a topic like this around here, (in case I missed something, I apologize to the mods..) but I wanted to ask this for a while..

What made you choose MyBB software?

For me personally, I was on free hosting for years, (2004-2014) and after using a metric sh-t ton of software over the years, I decided that I wanted to be on IPB..

However, financial issues (then, as a broke college student lol..) and exorbitant license costs kept me on free ipb hosting. After being disappointed with ZB, as impressive as it was, but I just didn't like the changes, and still preferred IPB software.. so I left IF (R.I.P.) and joined Jcink Hosting where I was happy with the host, especially in comparison to IF because it was everything I hoped IF would be after their upgrade, but better.. and so, I stayed there until about 2014 when I moved here.

After being on JFB for years, I was still team IPB and was FINALLY in a financial position to move to paid IPB and get a lifetime license. And then the changes to the IPB software and licensing prices happened, and I was still willing to work with it, but then, they changed so much that I became unsure about it, and eventually, it became an issue of, the more they changed, the more I hated it, and then they changed their licensing and discontinued selling the lifetime license but still had support for it. I had a feeling in my gut, that this too would be changed, but it was a matter of when, and that was one of the reasons why I was still unsure. With the increasing price changes, it felt more and more like I'd be paying more and getting less in return.

At any rate, a friend of mine who is also a forum owner, had just moved to XF after he was on IPB with his lifetime license, and he offered to sell me his as he wouldn't need it anymore. He offered to let me test drive his ACP to see if I still wanted to move to IPB and it was after that, that I had decided that I no longer wanted to go with IPB and I wasn't keen on XF yet either. Shortly after I made that decision, I would end up with another opportunity to test drive an ACP, this time, on a paid hosted MyBB later on.

So, another friend of mine, and co-admin and a forum owner himself, had just moved his forum off of JFB and on to MyBB, and he too, let me test drive his paid hosted forum to get a feel for what I'd be dealing with if/when I hosted my own. 

He had been suggesting MyBB when I discussed the idea of moving to new software with my members and staff, and I had tried a bunch of the free hosted MyBB services, and I then tried it on X10's free hosting account previously to get experience with hosting my own forum, so when my co-admin let me test drive his hosted forum, that pretty much solidified my decision to go with MyBB.. shortly after I made that decision, I would learn that IPB had discontinued support for lifetime licenses, which confirmed my gut feeling.

And now, I am here, and I couldn't be happier with my decision.

So, what made you choose MyBB? How are you liking it so far?

In 2009-2010 I wanted to start a Forum for the first time because it was very popular at that time.

I tried a lot of free forum software: phpBB, MyBB, SMF, PunBB etc.

But only MyBB met my expectations. Other systems were always lacking.

- It had a nice and attractive default theme.
- The admin panel was simple and I could manage the whole forum
- Installation and support was easy (there was a large Turkish community).
- Plugin and theme support was very good.

That's why I decided to continue with MyBB. Although support for MyBB has been partially cut, it is still one of the best forum software. Many people still prefer MyBB, which is free, when they want to build a classic forum.

XenForo is the modern look of the new classic forums. If you can afford it, you'll use it, because by default it combines the features of social media and forums very well.

I don't like the new generation of forum systems at all, because they've become question-and-answer platforms.

See: Flarum, Discourse etc.

I like MyBB, I like forums using MyBB, I like MyBB developers.

(2024-03-14, 08:35 AM)Hazel Wrote: [ -> ]In 2009-2010 I wanted to start a Forum for the first time because it was very popular at that time.

I tried a lot of free forum software: phpBB, MyBB, SMF, PunBB etc.

But only MyBB met my expectations. Other systems were always lacking.

- It had a nice and attractive default theme.
- The admin panel was simple and I could manage the whole forum
- Installation and support was easy (there was a large Turkish community).
- Plugin and theme support was very good.

That's why I decided to continue with MyBB. Although support for MyBB has been partially cut, it is still one of the best forum software. Many people still prefer MyBB, which is free, when they want to build a classic forum.

XenForo is the modern look of the new classic forums. If you can afford it, you'll use it, because by default it combines the features of social media and forums very well.

I don't like the new generation of forum systems at all, because they've become question-and-answer platforms.

See: Flarum, Discourse etc.

I like MyBB, I like forums using MyBB, I like MyBB developers.

Yeah I have noticed that too, the writing was on the wall years ago when dumbing things down seemed to be trendy then.. it's honestly one of the reasons why I did not like ZB when it came out.. in my opinion, they removed some features, (that is honestly major pet peeve of mine, removing a feature, and then having the nerve to call it an upgrade..) and made it too easy, although the skins were nice, and it was nice to use as a member, but not so much for me as an admin. And now, it is gone, which is sad, because although I didn't like ZB compared to IPB and MyBB.. I was hoping that it would be around for a lot longer than it was, more options are a good thing.

And it's ironic, because now, it seems as if some people are getting tired of social media, or have come to realize how limited it really is in the long term, and in wanting more, they are now seeking out forums, where they can have more in depth discussions..

So it will be interesting to see, which forum software will continue the trend of a limited Q & A system, but I really hope that MyBB doesn't become one of them.

It has been nice to see former IF/JFB admins who went paid IPB, VB, XF, now on MyBB..